The Angelic Assassin
by brawlingwolf
Summary: It is a time of political and social turmoil as the Underworlders rise in power, making life disastrous for all those under their rule. A brotherhood stands in their way, working in the shadows to protect the light, and their greatest threat is quick, strong, and deadly: an Assassin named Pit. Loosely based on Uprising in the style of AC II. Rated for violence, blood, and language.
1. Chapter I

"It's a simple task," a venomous voice hissed at the red-haired twins standing at attention. "Just assure that the merchants are paying their dues. Any who resist? Imprison them."

"As you command, Lady Medusa," one of the men replied. "It will be done." With that, they both turned and started for the exit of the building they were in.

"Tuvieran, Esterias," Medusa beckoned, stopping them. "See that you do not fail. Otherwise…" The serpent coiled lightly around her arms hissed at them. Both their eyes widened briefly and they bowed.

"Worry not, milady," Esterias said. "We'll return soon with your money in hand." Once again, they turned for the exit and headed out into the streets of Cecillia, a coastal town bustling with trade. The twins joined up with a group of soldiers and made their way through the alleyways until they reached the central market, and Tuvieran stepped up onto the platform where a herald stood announcing local news. The herald and many others fell silent as he stepped forward and the soldiers hustled over to the merchants and their stalls.

"Merchants and traders of Cecillia!" he yelled, gaining the attention of any stragglers. "Beginning today, your dues to the city have been increased to fifty gold pieces per crate of merchandise or equivalent! Anyone who does not comply will be promptly arrested for tax evasion."

"Fifty pieces?!" a middle-aged fisherman cried in outrage. "You're robbing us blind! How do you expect us to make a living with such outrageous fees?"

"That is not our concern," Esterias replied sourly and unsheathed a sword formerly hanging from his hip. "Pay up or rot in prison."

"This is madness," a tailor spoke up. "I have a wife and four children to feed. I barely make enough as it is! I can't afford such a raise!"

"Then your wife will just have to make a living on the streets," one of the soldiers spat, laughing. "I'll be her first customer!"

"You bastard!" the tailor snapped and launched himself over his counter, tackling the soldier and punching him in the face. Several others quickly pulled him from their comrade and grasped his hair while forcing him to his knees.

"Take note, citizens!" Tuvieran called as his twin approached the tailor. "This is what happens to those who do not follow the law!"

"P-Please," the tailor begged as Esterias held up the sword to his throat. "It was a momentary slip! I will comply! I'll pay my dues and serve my time… Just spare me!"

"You should have thought of that before acting out," Esterias replied coldly. "Now, you shall be an example."

He looked up as a shadow fell over them, his eyes growing impossibly wide with panic. But before he could so much as scream, he was knocked to the ground and a blade appeared from nowhere to pierce his throat. The light of life quickly faded from his eyes, and his assailant stood up and turned to the soldiers holding the tailor.

"A-Assassin!" one stuttered, stepping back.

"The Angelic Assassin!" the other nearly whimpered. The Assassin before them was garbed in white robes with a beak-like hood hiding most of his face. Over his back and left arm was a white cape with feathers on the end, resembling a wing. He wore a dark undershirt and leggings along with brown boots, and around his torso was a dark blue belt along with a silver insignia consisting of a circle with two curves enveloping it and four others below it. He unsheathed two short single-edged swords from his belt, both colored gold on one side and cobalt blue on the other, and he held one in a normal grip and the other reversed.

Now that the scene had turned violent, many of the gathered citizens ran for cover while the merchants dove under their counters. The tailor swallowed and got to his feet, nodding to the man who'd saved him before hurrying back to his shop.

"You'll pay for this!" Tuvieran bellowed as the soldiers moved to surround the Assassin. "You'll pay for my brother's death! You will SUFFER! Kill him! And make it PAINFUL!" The Assassin took a deep breath and ducked under the sword swung at him, then retaliated with his own blade, spilling blood onto the brick road below them. The soldier fell to the ground and the Assassin turned to his next assailant. He blocked the sword coming at him and wrenched it out of the soldier's grip, then lunged and slashed his blade across his opponent's throat.

Now that several of their comrades and one of their superiors lay dead in the blood-stained street, the other soldiers began to reconsider their tactic of attempting to swarm the Assassin. Tuvieran seemed none too pleased at their hesitation and scowled at them before turning his furious gaze on their target.

"What are you sorry fools doing? GET HIM!" he ordered. "Finish him! NOW!" The Assassin shook his head and dodged around another sword stabbing at him, turning his aim on their commander. Panic flashed into Tuvieran's eyes as he realized just what was coming for him, and he scrambled and shoved one of his men in between him and the white-robed killer. The Assassin rushed toward him, sprinting forth and shoving his way through the soldiers in pursuit of the fleeing commander.

Once he deemed he was close enough, he launched himself up and stretched his left hand back, unsheathing the Hidden Blade on his wrist and driving it into his target's neck. Tuvieran stumbled with the shock of the impact and buckled under the Assassin's surprisingly light weight, but fell to the ground regardless. The Assassin removed his blade and allowed it to retract. He turned his victim onto his back and propped him up in his arms slightly, his blood turning the Assassin's armor over his forearm red.

"D-Damn you," Tuvieran growled through grit teeth.

"Make your peace," the Assassin replied. "This is your chance to repent for what you've done to these people. Tell me where to find Medusa and clear your conscience." Tuvieran let out a harsh, labored laugh.

"E-Either way, I'm a dead man," he gasped. "You're the bastard with blood on your hands." His last words came out with his final breath and his life drained with his eyes. The Assassin let out a soft sigh.

"Your fate is in the hands of God," he said quietly. "Join your brother. And both of you… _Resideo in pacem_." He placed his fingers over his victim's eyes and shut them, then stood and took off sprinting before the soldiers could catch up with him. He jumped up and climbed the side of the nearest wall he deemed he could do so relatively safely. Once he reached the rooftop, he took off again, leaping from building to building and made his way out of the city, dodging the sights of soldiers and guards until he reached the outskirts.

He took a deep breath and bowed over briefly as he took a moment to rest, then glanced over his shoulder to assure he wasn't being followed. Once he was certain he was alone, he continued on as the sun began to set and reached a hidden valley in the nearby mountains where walls had been built along with the natural defenses.

"Welcome back, young master," one of the guards at the main entrance greeted with a dip of his head, and the Assassin did the same in reply. "Lady Palutena is expecting you."

"I know," he said as he passed them, bound for the fortress within. He headed inside and down the main hall until he reached an inner chamber where another elegantly dressed Assassin awaited him. She had her hood down, however, revealing her braided green hair and sparkling green eyes. Once he entered and approached her, she nodded to the other guards at the doors and they exited the chamber, closing the doors as they departed.

"Welcome back, Pit," she said with a smile, and he removed his hood to reveal his tufts of brown hair and his bright blue eyes. He knelt down and bowed his head.

"Tuvieran and Esterias have been killed," he reported. "But… I wasn't able to find out anything about Medusa's whereabouts. They took that secret to their graves. However, I do believe I managed to spare the merchants from another tax increase… For now, anyway."

"Good, good," Palutena nodded. "That's a step in the right direction. And either way, you've weakened their forces. Are you unharmed?"

"Aye," he confirmed. "Just a bit tired and hungry. And I need to clean my weapons."

"Very well," she nodded again and smiled. "Go take care of yourself, my little angel. I'll have your next assignment soon." He got to his feet and dipped his head, then pulled his hood up once again and departed the chamber.


	2. Chapter II

Several days after his attack on Tuvieran and Esterias, Pit made his way to the city of Altenna. It was a city nestled in the mountains north of the Assassins' Fortress where he made his home. As such, it had a bustling mining community and relied on trading the precious gems its citizens dug up for food and other goods. It was also known for its thieving community and was, unfortunately, under tight Underworld control. Palutena had instructed him to go ahead and strike at the figurehead keeping the city under Medusa's thumb, disrupting the chain of command and allowing the citizens to fight back.

He arrived at the city gates and immediately ducked into the crowds of people travelling to and fro, keeping an eye on the guards stationed around the streets. Once he passed them, he slipped into an alley and started toward the castle that stood in the center of Altenna. He frowned as he emerged back into the main street that ran straight to the castle itself.

"This will be fun," he muttered as he looked over the spires and the wall that surrounded the castle itself. He picked up his pace and scanned over the sides of the walls, hoping to find a way to get inside without bloodying his blades too much. The less of a scene he created on his way in, the greater the chance he had to strike his target without putting his own life in even more danger.

His attention perked up at the sound of clashing weapons and shouting from the guards, and he slipped out of the crowd and climbed up the side of a nearby building to get a better vantage point. He grit his teeth as he found what appeared to be a band of mercenaries attempting to charge the gate before the castle. The mercenaries, unfortunately, appeared to be losing, except one burly, dark-haired man swinging an impossibly large sword. Pit grit his teeth and raced across the rooftops and jumped down to the street again.

He took a breath and shook his head at the sight of the fallen mercenaries and the blood on the swords and spears the guards brandished. With that, he snuck up behind one of the guards and plunged his Hidden Blade into his target's back. He stumbled for a moment before falling to the ground, but by the time he had collapsed, Pit had moved on and stabbed another guard. At that point, both the remaining mercenary and the guards noticed his presence.

"Assassin!" one of them barked, and Pit unsheathed his twin blades. He blocked the sword swinging at him with one blade and countered with the other, cutting it across his assailant's throat. Now that the guards were more focused on the Angelic Assassin, the mercenary took their distraction and rammed his blade into the back of an armored guard wielding a spear. The guard bowed forward and crumpled to the ground, and Pit stabbed one of his blades into the remaining guard.

Once they all lay dead at their feet, Pit sheathed his blades and turned to the mercenary. He heaved his sword over his shoulders and panted slightly in an attempt to catch his breath. His yellow eyes swept over the Assassin with some mix of curiosity and curt disbelief.

"Huh," he huffed. "I guess they were right. Didn't actually expect an Assassin to show up. Am I in trouble?"

"Of course not," Pit replied with a shake of his head. "I'm just here to take out the Underworlder ruling the city." The mercenary frowned, but nodded.

"That's what we came for," he agreed, gesturing to his fallen comrades. "Too bad you didn't show up sooner. Maybe they wouldn't all be dead." Pit grit his teeth.

"Or maybe it wouldn't have happened at all," he snapped. "You really thought you could just storm the gate?" He looked up and shoved the mercenary out of the way as archers fired their arrows at the two intruders. "Forget it: This isn't the place for this discussion." He pulled a few knives from his belt and threw them forth, and the archers fell from their positions on the walls and rooftops. The mercenary sighed heavily, pursing his lips.

"I guess I owe you for saving my life," he said. "I'm Magnus. Tell you what: If you can get us in there without alerting the guards and getting us both killed, I'll cover your back and we can take out Gaol together." Pit frowned and glanced up at the castle.

"What about your comrades here?" he asked, gesturing to the unfortunate lost souls at their feet. Magnus's gaze darkened.

"We came to remove the leader in that castle from power. If I can finish the job, then their deaths won't be in vain. So do we have a deal or not?"

"I'm used to working alone," the Assassin replied. "But this isn't an average target." He paused in thought. "Fine. You have a deal, Magnus. But understand this: I won't wait for you if you slow me down."

"Likewise," Magnus said with a smirk. "You got a name?"

"Yes, but I rarely use it. Most people know me as the Angelic Assassin." Magnus chuckled and shook his head.

"Alright, Angel Boy. I'll follow your lead." Pit nodded and looked down at the fallen mercenaries and guards.

"My deepest apologies that you had to pass so violently," he said softly. "May your deaths not be in vain. _Resideo in pacem._" He looked up to find a balcony above the main doors of the castle itself, likely a place where whoever was ruling the city could address subjects gathered in the courtyard without having to go down to their level. "We'll have to cut across the courtyard quickly, but we should be able to get in up there." Magnus followed his gaze, or at least attempted to when it was hidden in the shadows of his hood, and frowned.

"Exactly how are we supposed to get up-" He fell silent and must have been able to sense Pit's curt glare at him. "Right, right. Lead the way." Pit unsheathed another few throwing knives from his belt and took off across the courtyard, dodging around an arrow that nearly hit his feet. He threw one of the knives at the remaining archer trying to shoot them down.

"Nice aim," Magnus remarked, but Pit didn't bother replying as they reached the castle doors. He sidled over to the wall and glanced over it. It wouldn't be an easy climb, but it wasn't impossible.

"Follow my movements exactly," he all but ordered. "And move quickly." He took a step back and rushed at the wall, managing several steps up before reaching and grabbing a brick sticking out slightly from the rest of the wall. It didn't have much extra room and his fingers barely found a hold, but it worked. He started up the wall, climbing quickly, and once he deemed he was able to, he leaped to the balcony and heaved himself up. He sighed and shook his head as he waited impatiently for Magnus to join him. It took the mercenary a couple of tries to actually reach the balcony.

"Jeez, how do you make it look so easy?" he inquired, rotating his arm. "No wonder they call you the 'Angelic Assassin.' It's like you can fly." Pit snorted and didn't reply. He opened the door leading into the castle and peaked inside. They came to what appeared to be a parlor and no one was around. He slipped in and Magnus shut the door behind them, and they headed for the hallway on the other side of the room.

"Stay close," Pit said quietly as they started down the hallway. The lush carpet beneath their feet helped silence Magnus's footsteps, and it allowed Pit to sneak up behind a patrolling guard and end his life quickly.

"Boy, you really do just cut down first and ask questions later," Magnus remarked as he stepped around the now lifeless body on the ground.

"Not true," Pit hissed. "Now shut up and keep moving!" He picked up his pace and peered around a corner to find several guards standing at attention at the base of an extravagant staircase with the Underworld's banner overhead. Pit gestured toward it and Magnus nodded, and they both readied their weapons.

"Intruders!" a soldier barked as the two stormed forth.

"Assassin!" another nearly cried as they moved to intercept the duo. Pit and Magnus fell in back to back and gave no quarter, and within a few moments, the unfortunate soldiers lay dead on the ground.

"Okay," Magnus huffed. "Your style is growing on me. You get the job done."

"Not yet," Pit replied. "Let's go." He started up the stairs with Magnus following close behind, and they came to a set of elegant doors. The mercenary shoved it open and wasted no time entering, and Pit followed with another quiet sigh.

"So, Palutena's little messenger boy," a voice greeted, coming from one of two high-ranking Underworld soldiers guarding another armored figure. "And Magnus. It's always a pleasure."

"Sorry I'm late," Magnus growled as he swung his sword forth, and Pit blinked as he looked from his ally to the armored trio. "Now, let's skip the formalities and get this over with." He turned his gaze briefly to the Assassin. "Take out the guards. Leave Gaol to me."

"I'm under strict orders to-" But Magnus didn't stay around long enough to hear the rest of his protest, and he shook his head and unsheathed his swords as one of the soldiers ran at him with a spear at the ready. He ducked to the side and parried the blow against him, but the soldier recovered and managed to cut his side. He grit his teeth and swung his blades quickly, knocking the spear away, and plunged one sword into his opponent's midsection. The soldier gurgled slightly and reached toward Pit's throat, but fell to the ground as his life drained away before he could do anything else.

He looked up to find Magnus cutting down the other soldier before turning his attention to the final armored figure, whom Pit now deduced was Gaol. Gaol didn't immediately strike, but took several steps back as Magnus raised his sword. But he didn't attack. Instead, he lowered it to the ground and, to Pit's surprise, knelt down on one knee and smiled a bit.

"Don't worry," he said in a surprisingly gentle voice. "I won't hurt you and I'll be damned before that Assassin does." Gaol didn't immediately reply, and Pit simply stared at them. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

"Can someone please explain to me what's going on?" Pit demanded, and Gaol removed the armored helmet to reveal a soft, feminine face and long, wavy blond hair.

"Sorry for the trouble," she grumbled. "But I'm not your enemy, Assassin."

"Gaol here was captured by the Underworlders and forced to act as a stand in to lure you guys out," Magnus explained as he got back to his feet. "We're part of the same mercenary group. The other guys and I came to break her out, but… Well, you know what happened." Pit crossed his arms and Gaol looked down with guilt on her face.

"They're not going to be happy when they figure out that, one, you both escaped, and two, I didn't kill you," the Assassin thought aloud. "They'll be looking feverishly for you." The mercenaries looked up at him curiously as he fell silent, thinking over his options. "If you're willing to trust me, then I have somewhere you can go." He paused and smiled slightly. "We could use someone with your combat skill, Magnus." Magnus stared at him before smirking slightly.

"You must be joking."

"No, but for now, let's get you both out of here," Pit replied. "And Gaol, don't worry. You're safe now." Gaol dipped her head to him, and he started back toward the doors leading back to the hallway. "Now stay close. Let's see if we can get out of here quickly and quietly."

Night had fallen by the time Pit returned to the Assassins' Fortress, and he could tell the mercenaries following him were exhausted. Despite that, they had kept up well with him and he was impressed by how well they had handled the terrain change in the mountains. The guards posted at the Fortress's entrance eyed him curiously, but didn't try to stop him as he entered. He could sense the tense mood both Magnus and Gaol felt as they followed close behind him, and they walked in silence until he reached Palutena's chamber.

"Lady Palutena," he greeted and bowed once he was inside. "I've returned with a… change in plans."

"I can see that," she replied as she looked from him to the visitors. "Tell me, were you successful in taking out your target?"

"Yes and no," Pit said, straightening back up. "This woman here is Gaol. She was captured by the Underworlders and used as a stand-in. She's not actually affiliated with them and was only being used as bait for us. She and this man, Magnus, were part of a mercenary band that has been all but wiped out, and I'm worried about their safety. That's why I brought them here."

"I see," Palutena nodded. "I trust your judgment, my angel. You know that." With that, she turned her gaze to the mercenaries and smiled. "Be at peace, both of you. I am Palutena, the mentor of these Assassins. You're welcome to stay here while we sort out our predicament with the Underworlders." Neither immediately replied.

"You're very kind, Lady Palutena," Gaol finally said. "Thank you for your mercy and hospitality." Her tone suddenly became very serious. "But please, let us fight with you! I'll destroy them for what they've done to us, and I'll avenge my fallen comrades."

"Uh…" Magnus grunted, a bit taken aback by her outburst. "Yeah, what she said."

"We'll discuss that later," Palutena said lightly. "For now, you need your rest. I'll make sure you have everything you need." She nodded to one of the other Assassins present, and he gestured for the mercenaries to follow him. Once they had departed, Palutena turned her gaze to Pit. "I'm proud of you, you know."

"Never harm the innocent," he said bluntly. "It wasn't in my place to kill her. And Magnus is a heck of a swordsman."

"Perhaps we'll find a use for their talents," she agreed. "But for now, I have another assignment for you. We've uncovered the location of one of the Underworld's higher-ranking members. You've heard of Pandora, yes?"

"Of course," he replied. "She's my next target, then?"

"Yes," she nodded. "But be careful, Pit. It's been reported to me that they've been mentioning some sort of 'secret weapon' in case you come after them. Be prepared for anything."

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "I'll leave at first light." With that, he dipped his head and left the chamber.


End file.
